Lancashire man plunges to his death in Ecuador

A Lancashire man has been killed when his quad bike plunged 150m off a cliff in the remote mountains of Ecuador.

University of Central Lancashire graduate Anthony Prowell, 26, from Preston, is believed to have been on a waterfall tour when his vehicle dropped into a ravine.

His body was later discovered on the banks of a river and identified.

Anthony, who was half-way into a three-month holiday with friends when the accident happened, is thought to have been travelling in a convoy of around six quad bikes.

Australian teacher Millie Johnston, 25, also plunged into the ravine, 300km from the capital Quito. Her body was found yesterday morning.

Anthony, known as Tony, was living on Cromwell Road, Ribbleton, Preston, before embarking on his travels and graduated from UCLan last year with a degree in Forensic Science.

Friends and family have been left shocked and heartbroken at the news of his death.

Girlfriend Sam Kellet, 19, who is a psychology and criminology student at UCLan, said: “I only spoke to Tony a day or two before his death and he sounded so happy and promised to call me again in a few days.

“We met at McDonalds where we both worked and had been together for 10 months.

“Tony sent me a box of presents and a romantic letter only a couple of weeks ago to mark our anniversary and we were looking forward to celebrating our one-year anniversary on his return to Preston.

“Tony was such a vibrant and alive person who had so many friends. It is hard to believe he has gone and his death hasn’t really sunk in yet.”

Sam received a telephone call on Friday last week from a woman who told her Tony had gone over a cliff in a dirt buggy and ended up in a river and that his body had been found and identified by two of the friends he was travelling with.

Tony’s last entry on networking site Facebook on Tuesday June 8 states: “About to have a ‘Turkish steam’ then off to the buggies for dirt tracking.”

Sam, who is from Cromwell Road, Ribbleton, says Tony had always wanted to go travelling and decided to go on the three-month trip before returning to Preston to look for a job in forensics.

Tony, who was originally from Hull, leaves behind his mum Dorothy and sisters Simone and Rayanne. His family were today too distressed to speak.

Dr Lee Chatfield, head of the school of forensic and investigative sciences at UCLan, said: “Staff and students from the school were extremely upset to hear this tragic news.

“Anthony graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Forensic Science in 2009 and had a bright future ahead of him. He was a bubbly, lively and enthusiastic student and liked by everyone within the school. He will be greatly missed.”

It is believed Tony was on an excursion in an area next to the swollen river when the accident happened. Friends who Tony was travelling with reported him missing when he did not return and the Ecuadorian search and rescue teams discovered his body in the river.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office today said: “We can confirm the death of a British national called Anthony Prowell in Ecuador. We are providing consular assistance.”

Tony’s body is expected to be flown back to the UK in the next few days and his funeral will be arranged at a later date.

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